Carrot cake was a staple during the Second World War, when sugar was rationed to 230g per week. Carrots were switched in to sweeten cakes and biscuits without sugar. Today, carrot cake is eaten at Easter, on birthdays, and pretty much all year round.Express.co.uktalks you through BBC Good Food’s carrot cake recipe.

If you have decided to make a carrot cake as a lighter option, you might want to think again.

Carrots are vegetables, but the cake is still packed with naughty ingredients.

This recipe is worth around 265 calories per slice, but it is dairy-free and you can pop slices in the freezer to avoid eating it all in one go.

This recipe makes 15 slices and takes up to an hour and 15 minutes to make, including 40 to 45 minutes of baking in the oven.

READ MORE- Classic carrot cake recipe by Aldo Zilli

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Ingredients

For the cake

175g light muscovado sugar

175ml sunflower oil

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

140g grated carrot (about 3 medium)

100g raisins

grated zest of 1 large orange

175g self-raising flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp grated nutmeg (freshly grated will give you the best flavour)

For the frosting

175g icing sugar

1½-2 tbsp orange juice

Other recipes add a pinch of ground cinnamon and around 200g of soft cheese to thicken up the frosting.

You could also add some walnuts for decoration.

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Method

Step one

Heat the oven to 180C/fan160C/gas 4.

Oil and line the base and sides of an 18cm square cake tin with baking parchment.

The second bank holiday weekend this month promises to be a record-breaker – the hottest long weekend of the year so far. With pretty tough lockdown restrictions still in place for millions of Britons across the UK, taking to the garden to light-up a barbecue promises to be an extremely popular option for those looking to escape their four walls.

If you’re looking for the ultimate barbecue with the family, friends – or whoever is in your household, we’ve got a few gadget upgrades to make sure you’ve got the ultimate set-up for the bank holiday weekend. So, read on and find out exactly what you need.

Best BBQ For Your May Bank Holiday Barbecue Grilling

If you’re looking for the ultimate upgrade your May bank holiday barbecue, Weber’s new SmokeFire grill could be just the ticket. At an eye-watering £1,199, this cutting edge cooking kit means you’ll never serve guests burnt sausages again, thanks to its dizzying array of sensors.

All of this means you can let the microchips handle the steaks, while you sort the oven chips

These clever sensors feed into the Weber Connect smartphone app, which will offer wannabe chefs step-by-step meal preparation guides – and can even calculate when your food will be ready based on what you’re grilling for the family. All of this means you can let the microchips handle the steaks, while you sort the oven chips.

And best of all, if you’re perfectly happy with the barbecue you’ve already got in your garage, then it’s possible to add the clever sensors to your current set-up thanks to the £109 standalone Weber Connect Smart Grilling Hub. This means you’ll be able to fire-up the same smartphone app and benefit from the same cooking guides and military-precision ETAs for your bangers without replacing the entire BBQ.

Best BBQ App To Make Sure Your Bank Holiday Barbecue Is A Success

There are plenty of apps to furnish you with recipes for side dishes to make your barbecue a success, but let’s be honest, the most important part of any bank holiday BBQ is the weather. So, that’s why we’re recommending Dark Sky.

This is easily our favourite weather app. In fact, it’s so brilliant Apple recently bought the entire operation, enabling it to pick the brains behind the successful app to boost its own weather app, which is preinstalled on all iPhone and iPads worldwide.

Dark Sky is the gold standard of weather apps. In fact, it’s so reliable that dozens of other hugely-successful weather apps are fuelled by meteorological data provided by Dark Sky. Loading up the app, which is available on iPhone and Android (although Apple plans to shut down the latter in the next month or so), presents a detailed timeline of the next 24-hours which tells you exactly what to expect.

You can choose to switch between a detailed breakdown of the temperature, the probability of precipitation, the wind speed in MPH, humidity levels, UV index, cloud coverage, and pressure. There’s also a countdown to sunset and a “feels like” index that tries to give a little more detail to the raw numbers – so, if there’s going to be high humidity and plenty of cloud cover (statistics that you might not dig into otherwise) Dark Sky will let you know if that’s going to make it feel much, much warmer than the basic temperature would suggest.

There’s also a seven-day forecast and a satellite map like you’d expect to see in the background of the TV weather report.

BBQ chefs with an Apple Watch will be able to get weather alerts to their wrist – letting them know about incoming rain, temperature alerts, or anything else that could impact your grilling. If you’re looking to stay ahead of the clouds (and the rain), you need to be using Dark Sky.

Best BBQ Gadgets To Make Sure Your Bank Holiday Barbecue Rocks

There’s plenty of gadgets out there to make a standard barbecue feel like a proper summer party. But let’s be honest, if you’re only going to pick one – you need a speaker. Whether it’s a good true crime podcast to keep the chef company while they’re grilling before everyone else heads out into the garden, or a sparkly summer playlist to get the party started as the lunch is served.

If you’re looking for a solid Bluetooth speaker, you can’t go wrong with anything in the Ultimate Ears range. These are drop-off and water resistant, so you don’t need to tip-toe around them – worrying about spilling drinks or knocking them off the table when telling a particularly enthusiastic anecdote. The UE Boom 3 is probably the best balance of volume, compact size and price.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/A01hPNKPxiw

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However, if you’ve already got a home cinema system, or multi-room connected set-up powered by Sonos, you might want to take a look at the US company’s recent Bluetooth option, the Sonos Move. This speaker can be docked to become part of your connected home – so you can play music throughout the house, or separate each room with its own radio station, podcast, or playlist. And when you’re ready to head out into the garden, it can pair with any Bluetooth-enabled smartphone or tablet, ready to blast tunes to add some extra flavour to proceedings.

And of course, kickstarting a Google Meet, WhatsApp or Zoom video call with friends and family who can’t physically join you can be a great way to boost numbers for your bank holiday feast. Enjoy.

Lightly grease a baking tray with butter and line it with baking or silicone paper (not greaseproof).

Put 450g/15½oz of the flour into a large bowl and add the butter. Rub the flour and butter together with your fingers to create a breadcrumb-like mixture.

Add the sugar, eggs and baking powder and use a wooden spoon to turn the mixture gently. Make sure you mix all the way down to the bottom and incorporate all of the ingredients.

Now add half of the milk and keep turning the mixture gently with the spoon to combine. Then add the remaining milk a little at a time and bring everything together to form a very soft, wet dough. (You may not need to add all of the milk.)

Sprinkle most of the remaining flour onto a clean work surface. Tip the soft dough out onto the work surface and sprinkle the rest of the flour on top. The mixture will be wet and sticky.

Use your hands to fold the dough in half, then turn the dough 90 degrees and repeat. By folding and turning the mixture in this way (called ‘chaffing’), you incorporate the last of the flour and add air. Do this a few times until you’ve formed a smooth dough. If the mixture becomes too sticky use some extra flour to coat the mixture or your hands to make it more manageable. Be careful not to overwork your dough.

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Next roll the dough out: sprinkle flour onto the work surface and the top of the dough, then use the rolling pin to roll up from the middle and then down from the middle. Turn the dough by 90 degrees and continue to roll until it’s about 2.5cm/1in thick. ‘Relax’ the dough slightly by lifting the edges and allowing the dough to drop back onto the work surface.

Using a pastry cutter, stamp out rounds from the pastry and place them onto the baking tray. Dip the edge of the pastry cutter in flour to make it easier to cut out the scones without them sticking. Don’t twist the cutter – just press firmly, then lift it up and push the dough out.

Once you’ve cut 4 or 5 rounds you can re-work and re-roll the dough to make it easier to cut out the remaining rounds. Any leftover dough can be worked and rolled again, but the resulting scones won’t be as fluffy.

Place the scones on the baking tray and leave them to rest for a few minutes to let the baking powder work. Then use a pastry brush (or your finger if you don’t have a brush) to glaze them with the beaten egg and salt mixture. Be careful to keep the glaze on the top of the scones. (If it runs down the sides it will stop them rising evenly.)

Bake the scones in the middle of the oven for 15 minutes, or until the scones are risen and golden-brown.

Leave the scones to cool, then split in half and add butter, jam and clotted cream to serve.

Self raising flour – Delia Smith

MethodBegin by rubbing the butter into the sieved flour quickly, using your fingertips, then stir in the sugar followed by a pinch of salt.

Now, using a knife, mix in the milk little by little, and when it’s all in, flour your hands and knead the mixture to a soft dough (you may find you need just a drop more milk if it feels at all dry).

Place the dough on a floured pastry board and with a rolling pin (also floured) lightly roll it out to a thickness of about 3cm. This thickness is vital. The reason scones don’t rise enough is because they are rolled too thin.

Then take the pastry cutter and tap it sharply so that it goes straight through the dough – do not twist or the scones will turn out a strange shape!

When you have cut as many as you can, knead the remaining dough together again and repeat. Then place the scones on the baking sheet, dust each one with flour and bake near the top of the oven for 12–15 minutes.

When they’re done they will have risen and turned a golden brown. Then transfer them to a wire rack and eat as soon as they are cool enough, spread with butter, jam and clotted cream.

Pret a Manger is a coffee and food chain which has more than 500 outlets across Britain. A number of locations close to hospitals have reopened their doors in order to provide food and drink to frontline NHS workers as well as offer takeaway and delivery. But which Pret shops have reopened for delivery and how can you get Pret delivered to your home?

All non-essential shops were closed last month.

Only a small list of retailers were left open, including supermarkets, pharmacies and newsagents.

Takeaway and delivery services may remain open and operational in line with Government guidance.

The Government guidance reads: “Food delivery and takeaway can remain operational and can be a new activity supported by the new permitted development right.

“This covers the provision of hot or cold food that has been prepared for consumers for collection or delivery to be consumed, reheated or cooked by consumers off the premises.”

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Which Pret a Manger cafes are open?

Pret a Manger has opened ten stores across the UK to help with NHS staff.

The shops which are reopening include:

Fulham Road, Fulham, London

Old Brompton Road, South Kensington, London

St George’s University Hospital, London

Circus Road, St John’s Wood, London

Kings Road, London

City Road, London

Great Portland Street, London

St George’s Wharf, Vauxhall, London

Warren Street, London

Tooting Broadway, London.

All of these outlets will be open from 8am to 2pm everyday for takeaway only.

Customers visiting these outlets are not permitted to sit inside the cafe.

Only a limited menu will be available including sandwiches, salads and baguettes, but these shops will also have essentials such as milk, butter and tea.

All staff members working in these Pret outlets have volunteered to work to provide assistance to customers, particularly NHS workers, amid these uncertain times.

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All Pret workers will be paid 100 percent of the salary, whether they have volunteered or not.

Protective Perspex screens have been fitted to tills to separate customers and workers.

Only card payments will be permitted to reduce the risk of spread through cash.

Only a maximum of six customers will be allowed in the shops and cafes at any one time to ensure the two-metre social distancing is maintained.

Additionally, all contact surfaces will have a strict 30-minute sanitising schedule, with movement in the kitchens minimised as far as possible.

How to get Pret delivered to your home?

Delivery is now available through Just Eat so more people can enjoy Pret’s food without leaving their home for a fee of just £3.

The partnership has initially launched in London and will continue to roll out to further sites across the country in the coming months.

Delivery is available during the opening hours listed above and will include breakfast and lunch items, as well as coffee, fresh baguettes and a Produce Box, including fruit, vegetables and herbs.

You can see which restaurants are delivering in your area enter your postcode on the Just Eat app or visit online here.

Andrew Kenny, Just Eat UK managing director, said: “We are delighted to be working with Pret to deliver their incredibly popular dishes.

“Pret is a workday staple and being able to enjoy your go-to lunch direct to your door is something many will be excited about, especially after working from home for the last few weeks.

“Since lockdown began, our data has shown a shift in the nation’s eating habits. We’re eating earlier, with families coming together for lunch, and we’re craving items that are more difficult to get in supermarkets.

“Through our partnership with Pret, and a wide range of other high street restaurants that are now available for delivery again on Just Eat, we hope to continue offering the widest choice of the food you love – be it for breakfast, lunch or dinner.”

Greggs announced the closure of their stores on Tuesday, March 24, in line with the Government’s coronavirus lockdown measures. This has lead to many missing their pastry fix from the famous bakers – one of the main items missed is Greggs famous sausage roll.

Now some have taken to creating their own pastry goodness at home, with pictures across social media of budding bakers creations.

Express.co.uk has found two recipes, one for sausage rolls and another for sausage, bean and cheese melt from Greggs themselves.

Your kitchen will smell like a bakery in no time with these two easy recipes.

If you want to have a go at creating your own Greggs style sausage roll at home, below is a recipe you can follow!

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2. Unroll the puff pastry sheet and cut in half lengthways. Brush each half with the beaten egg to within 1cm of the bottom of the long side.

3. Mix the sausage meat with 1 sachet of Flava-It Garlic & Herb to season (optional)

4. Divide the sausage meat mixture in half, place down the centre of each length of pastry in a sausage shape, leaving a 3cm border along one long-edge of each sheet, then brush just the border with beaten egg. Bring the top pastry edge over the filling press together to stick to the eggy border. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

5. Cut each sausage roll into 4 even lengths and make 3 cuts across the top surface of each roll with a knife. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make another 4 sausage rolls.

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6. Place on a baking tray, brush all over with beaten egg and bake in a preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Greggs has also shared themselves how to make their famous sausage, bean and cheese melt.

In a Facebook post, the bakers told customers to try a GIY or Greggs It Yourself and detailed how to make the tasty pastry.

Greggs wrote on Facebook: “If you’re craving a Sausage, Bean and Cheese Melt right now, we sadly can’t bake it for you, but here’s how to #GreggsItYourself.”

To make a sausage, bean and cheese melt you’ll need

Beans

Sausages

Cheese

Puff Pastry

An egg

Method

1. Cut two squares of pastry and egg wash the edges

2. Squash your beans, chop up your sausages and place them both on top of one of the pastry squares. Sprinkle cheese over the top – you can make it as cheesy as you want.

3. Place the second pastry square over the top of the first, and use a fork to press down the edges firmly.

4. Egg wash the entire thing and then place in the oven for 20 minutes at 180C, or until the pastry is golden brown and piping hot.

Eggs, flour, pasta and canned goods have all been coming up short as shoppers take the long-life items home in case of emergencies. Luckily, a chocolate cake recipe from Jamie Oliver does the trick. The recipe was featured on Channel 4’s Jamie: Keep Cooking and Carry on this week.

You don’t need any eggs to make it – handy for when you can’t buy any.

The recipe feeds 12 people and takes half-an-hour to cook.

Serve it with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of cream or custard to get the full experience.

For added flavour, you could try adding in dried fruits, nuts or sweet bits like fudge or chocolate.

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The recipe calls for these ingredients:

• 200g soft unsalted butter – plus extra for greasing

• 200g hazelnuts – feel free to swap this to any other nut, almonds, pecans and brazil nuts work too

• 200g quality dark chocolate

• 200g self-raising flour

• 200ml semi-skimmed milk

• 200g golden caster sugar

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Method

Preheat the oven to 180C

Break up the nuts inside a food processor

Break up the chocolate and then add that into the food processor as well

The common British side dish Yorkshire pudding is a versatile food that can be served in numerous ways. That makes it perfect for the current situation the UK is in, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson imposing a nation-wide lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Yorkshire puddings are made from batter consisting of eggs, flour, milk and water.

Originally, it was served as a first course with thick gravy to dull the appetite with the low-cost ingredients so diners would not eat so much of the more expensive meat in the next course.

However, today it can be served not just as a first course, but as part of the main course.

The Yorkshire pudding has become a regular part of the traditional Sunday roast, but also works with easier meals such as bangers and mash.

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When wheat flour began to come into common use for making cakes and puddings in the north of England, cooks devised a means of making use of the fat that dropped into the dripping pan to cook a batter pudding while the meat roasted.

In 1737, a recipe for “a dripping pudding” was published in the book The Whole Duty of a Woman.

The recipe read: “Make a good batter as for pancakes; put in a hot toss-pan over the fire with a bit of butter to fry the bottom a little then put the pan and butter under a shoulder of mutton, instead of a dripping pan, keeping frequently shaking it by the handle and it will be light and savoury, and fit to take up when your mutton is enough; then turn it in a dish and serve it hot.”

The Royal Society of Chemistry suggested in 2008 that “A Yorkshire pudding isn’t a Yorkshire pudding if it is less than four inches tall”.

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